SOL KJØK

Artist Statement:

I create figurative drawings and paintings − preferably life-size and beyond − dealing with the fundamental interrelatedness and interdependence of all living things and the constraints imposed by our physical bodies. My scenarios are not mental constructs; they come from wordless places such as dreams, meditation and other states of altered consciousness. Their truth, revealed in some partial way to the dreamer, suffers from being squeezed through the bottleneck of verbal language.

I believe this imagery springs from a well that we all share. Western civilization is now at a pivotal point where cutting-edge science is starting to prove what mystics and ancient cultures have always intuitively known: all matter in the universe exists in a web of connection and constant influence, and thought is simply another form of transmitted energy. We can no longer view ourselves and our minds as the private, self-contained workings of an individual brain. In short, we are one-ness having the experience of separate-ness. 

To put these internal glimpses out there in the world, I use my own and my friends’ bodies as a visual and visceral source. I gather my loved ones in my studio to pose with me, often in acrobatically challenging ways. This hands-on physical experience allows me to explore aspects of the human condition that are particularly interesting to me: pushing against our limits; the risk of falling; and the co-presence of vulnerability and strength.

Sol's work is featured in article 'Spiraling Smoke' by Claire Zakiewicz in our Pankhurst in the Park 2018 commission; the centenary edition of NYC based Art 511 Mag. Download it here

See more here - http://www.solkjok.info/ & follow @lastfrontiernyc